Ashen
by xXSunsparkXx
Summary: After going on a tough mission in North Dakota Lennox and his team are exhausted, with nowhere else to turn a young woman named Amber unexpectedly comes to their aid, and a certain mech finds a lot more than a place to stay... SideswipexOC
1. Ashen

Ashen

Chapter 1 Amber

"Lennox, where exactly are we going?" Sideswipe asked tiredly. A team made up of Ironhide, Jolt, Lennox's soldiers, and himself were given orders to take out a Decepticon threat in North Dakota. Unfortunately, the Decepticons weren't mere drones, they were a bunch of more able fighters and it took a huge toll on the team. They had lost a few good men out there.

"I don't know Sides." Lennox mumbled back, struggling to stay awake himself.

Sideswipe thought about it for a moment. They were in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road at midnight with the nearest rest stop about three hours away, what _were_ they supposed to do? And they had some soldiers that were injured, none were in life threatening situations but it would ease Lennox a bit to get them some medical help. "I think I might be able to make it to Slate, but I don't know about your soldiers though."

Lennox sighed, he was right. If he was tired, then his men must be exhausted. "Let's just…pull over for a few minutes. I'll go talk to Ironhide and my men."

Sideswipe swerved to the side of the road and cut the engine. Lennox got out and headed towards Ironhide, who stopped behind him. While they talked Sideswipe took in his surroundings again. _Well,_ he thought,_ this is turning out to be a slagging_ _night._

Amber Drake rode down the path urging her horse to go faster. Spirit happily complied, his strong limbs quickening in pace. Amber always got a rush from riding a galloping horse, especially at night. It was just something about riding under the stars and hearing the horses hooves hit the ground the intrigued her. Tonight she was riding on Cawley Drive, it was a good choice for night riding because most people would rather drive on the highway than a good old dirt road. She rolled her eyes at the thought, something was wrong with folks nowadays. Amber was probably the only human being in miles, but she liked it that way. Most people she'd met only drove her to the ground or left her heartbroken, she liked animals better. Patting her horse's neck she slowed down to a walk, although she knew he could run for miles, she didn't like him to tire out easily and let him take breaks often so they could ride longer. Out of all her horses she liked Spirit the best, he was the sweetest one of them all. "You're a good boy aren't you?" She said to him lovingly. He nickered in response. They rode in companionable silence for a few minutes before Spirit abruptly stopped, his ears perking up to something in front of them. "What is it boy?" She asked. He had never done this before. Amber eased him forward, she had heard something too. It sounded like talking, but she couldn't be sure. Finally she could make out what looked like military trucks up ahead. _Why are they here?_ She thought. Getting a closer look it seemed like the soldiers were exhausted, and some even had a few cuts and bruises. Being the compassionate person she was she urged Spirit forward to meet them. A man in an army uniform stood by a sleek black truck, and it almost seemed like he was _talking_ to it. Clearing her throat she called out to them, "Hello there. Are you folks okay?" The man by the truck turned around to face her, she could tell by the look on his face that he was tired.

"Yes ma'am. We're fine but, you wouldn't be from around here, would you?"

Amber nodded, "Yeah, I have a house about ten miles away from here. If I may ask sir, why are you out here of all places in the middle of the night?"

The man sighed heavily and glanced over at his men. "We were on a mission that required us to be here. Some of my men are injured, so we were going to drive to Slate and get medical help there."

Amber shook her head in disbelief, "That's about three hours away sir, and even if you did want to get there, you look exhausted, I'm not sure you would make it." She looked over at the men in concern, "But if you want, I have a pretty large house, you're welcome to stay the night. I have plenty of medical supplies if you need them."

The man visibly relaxed, "That would be a lot of help, are you sure ma'am?"

Amber nodded again, "Yeah, you guys need rest. Just follow me and we should be there in about ten minutes." With that she turned her horse and started off in a trot down the road.

Lennox couldn't believe the woman's generosity. They were practically strangers to her, and yet she was willing to take them all in. He turned to his men, "That young woman said we could stay with her for the night. She has plenty of medical supplies to we'll be able to get you all bandaged up. If everyone's ready to go let's move out!" A happy, "Yes sir!" was heard from all the men. Lennox walked over to Sideswipe and hopped in. "You get all that Sides?"

The radio crackled to life, "Yeah, you sure we can trust her?"

"Yeah, she's a civilian, we'll be fine."

"Alright." Sideswipe revved up his engine and started down the road after her. Upon hearing the car coming down the road Amber urged Spirit into a full fledged gallop, not wanting to be left in the dust. A sleek silver corvette came up beside her, keeping pace with the horse. Being close to her Sideswipe took the femme in, long auburn hair, hazel eyes, and a strong body from working with her horses. He had to say she was pretty attractive, for a human. He watched as she nudged her horse again and with speed he didn't know the animal possessed, he was left in the dust. Lennox laughed and patted the dash, "Looks like you've got some competition Sides!"

Sideswipe, being the competitive mech he was, growled and went faster, quickly catching up with the girl again. Amber smirked and kept urging Spirit to go faster too. They duked it out for another few miles until they reached a large farmhouse that appeared to belong to Amber. Amber slowed her horse to a halt and dismounted, Sideswipe skidding to a stop beside her. Lennox got out and walked up to her, chuckling softly, "You've got one heck of a horse there ma'am."

Amber laughed and patted Spirit's neck. "Thanks. By the way please, just call me Amber."

Lennox smiled and took her outstretched hand, "William Lennox. Thanks so much for letting us stay here Amber."

Amber smiled back, "It's not a problem." She took hold of her horse's reins and led him to a barn a little ways away from the house, "Make yourself at home." She called out behind her.

Lennox turned to his team and ordered them to head inside, leaving him with Jolt, Ironhide, and Sideswipe. Ironhide rolled up to him, "So, we're being stationed here for the night?"

Lennox glanced at Amber and nodded, "Yeah, try to keep a low profile so she doesn't get suspicious, I know word is out there of your guy's presence, but we wouldn't want to scare her."

Ironhide grunted a confirmation and rolled up the drive to park beside the house, Jolt wordlessly followed. "What about my holoform? Can I meet her?" Sideswipe asked from behind.

Lennox smirked, "You really want to meet her?"

A flurry of sparks materialized into a blonde-haired man with the same smirk on his face, "Yeah. So it's okay?"

Lennox thought about it, playfully tapping his chin, "Alright." Sideswipe did a fist pump, but Lennox held his hand out to stop him, "But, you better not show her anything except for your holoform, got it?"

Sideswipe did a mock salute, "Yes sir." With that he jogged out to the barn, leaving Lennox rolling his eyes in his wake.

Amber brushed Spirit's back trying to get all the dirt and dust he collected from riding off of him. She probably got it all off about five minutes ago, but she liked brushing her horses. It was a menial sort of task that calmed her and allowed her mind to wander to other things. Take the fifteen soldiers that she just let into her home. She liked William Lennox, he had a sort of sparkle in his eyes that led her to believe that he was a good man full of wit. She was sure he'd keep his men in order. He had a pretty nice car too, though she didn't understand why it was with him while he was on a mission. Those things cost a lot of money. "Wish I had a car like that." She wistfully said to no one in particular.

"Car like what?"

Amber jumped and whirled around to face a man in he early twenties. He had platinum blonde hair, it looked more white than blonde, strange cerulean eyes that seemed to glow in the night, and a strong muscular body that most military men acquired. She would be lying to say he wasn't handsome. Realizing that she was staring, she turned back around to face her horse, hiding the small blush that dusted her cheeks. Acting casual she picked up her brush again and worked on Spirit's forelegs. "Like that Corvette out there, it's pretty nice."

Sideswipe walked closer to her, watching her brush her horse, "Yeah that's a sweet car, it's mine actually."

Amber glanced over at him in surprise, "Really? I thought it was Will's."

He chuckled and looked up at the large animal, "Nope, so, this is your horse huh?"

Amber smiled up at him, "Yup, he's my big boy, his name is Spirit."

Sideswipe nodded and put a hand out to pet the horse's muzzle, "He's pretty fast."

She finished up the back leg, putting the brush back in the box and turned to face him, "Yeah, not as fast as your car though."

He shrugged, "Yeah well, not many things are faster than me-I mean my car."

Amber arched an eyebrow at his correction but didn't say anything about it, "I can see that. Oh!" She wanted to hit herself! "I totally forgot! I haven't even introduced myself, I'm Amber." She stuck out her hand.

Sideswipe took it and shook it warmly, "I'm Sideswipe."

A disbelieving look crossed Amber's face, "Sideswipe? It that like an army code name or something?"

Sideswipe scratched the back of his head, an unusual habit that he observed humans doing when they didn't know what to say, "Uh, yeah."

Amber nodded and smiled, "I thought so, it's a pretty cool name though, way better than mine." She took hold of Spirit's lead rope and started down the large walkway. After putting him in his stable she walked back to Sideswipe and motioned for him to follow her, "C'mon, I'm all done here, why are you out here anyways? Aren't you hungry or something?"

Sideswipe quickly fell in step with her, "Nah not really, I came out here to see you actually."

Amber laughed a little, "Well it was nice meeting you. You sure you're not hungry? I can go make you some food if you are."

Sideswipe shook his head, "No thanks, I'm actually gonna go make sure there isn't any damage to my car." He ruffled her hair playfully, "It was a lot of fun talking to you Amber." With that he left her on the path and headed to the sleek silver Corvette in her driveway.

Amber watched him go then headed inside, even if he wasn't hungry, she sure was.

Lennox and a few members of his team was the sight she first found as she entered her house. They were playing cards at her dining room table. Upon her coming in the door Lennox glanced up and smiled, "Hey Amber, you wanna join us?"

Amber giggled and shook her head, "No thanks, I'm actually gonna get myself something to eat, you guys want anything?"

A few of the men turned to face her, eyes pleading. Taking that as a yes Amber laughed and opened her refrigerator, "Okay, what do you guys want?" After hearing about six different answers Lennox spoke up, "Sandwiches are fine."

Amber got out the bread and got to work, while she assembled she made small talk with Lennox, "So where are the other members of you team?"

"Crashed on your living room floor."

Amber turned to face him, a horrified expression on her face, "What? B-but I have air mattresses-"

Lennox laughed, "Amber, we're soldiers, not houseguests, a warm place to stay is all we need."

Amber rolled her eyes and turned back to work on their sandwiches, she was still a little miffed as to why anyone would be comfortable enough to sleep on her hardwood floor.

But she wasn't an army dog.

After making a large tray of turkey sandwiches she set it out and front of them and watched them eat. She had to say she'd never seen food leave a plate so fast. Taking their plates from them when they were done she set them in the sink, opting to wash them later. Lennox stood up and stretched, motioning for the rest of his team to go with him, "Thanks for everything Amber. We won't bother you for the rest of the night, I think it's time for us to hit the hay. Goodnight."

Amber nodded and smiled, "Living room floor right?"

A few of his men chuckled and one spoke up, "Yes ma'am. Come get us if you need us."

Amber turned to smile at them as well, "Alright, goodnight."

After a chorus of 'goodnights' were heard the rest of the soldiers went to crash for the night. Amber shook her head and checked her watch, it was only one a.m. and all the night's excitement led to her being wide awake. "Might as well go bug Sideswipe." She said to no one in particular and headed to the door. Sideswipe was her favorite out of the bunch, well, out of the ones she'd already met. And she was sure he was awake, after all, he did say he was going to work on his car.


	2. Chilling On A Dirt Road

Chapter 2: Chilling On A Dirt Road

**Reviews: **

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**Enjoy.**

Sideswipe sat on his hood staring at the stars. "Slag." He murmured to himself. He has never seen so man stars this clearly before, at least, not on this planet. He wondered if his brother was up there somewhere looking for him. Just the thought of Sunstreaker made his spark ache. He missed his brother dearly, although he tried not to show it. Sunny would want him to be strong.

He shook his head. He'd been telling himself that for vorns, and truthfully, it wasn't helping as much as it used to, and even then the pain never truly went away. "Sunny." He whispered to the shining stars. "Where are you?"

"Who's Sunny?"

Sideswipe's whipped his head around to the girl behind him. It was Amber, her head tilted curiously to the side. He sighed and pasted a smile on his face. "My twin brother."

Amber's eyes shone with concern. "Is he gone?"

He shrugged, and with it he felt like the weight of the universe was on his shoulders. "He's… I don't know. I don't know what happened to him." He whispered.

Amber came to sit hesitantly beside him. "What happened?" She whispered back.

Sideswipe turned away from her then, his eyes shadowed in the moonlight. A few moments passed, and she waited. Finally another shuddering sigh escaped him. "We were… at our home…" He started, the memories flooding into his processor.

_The blasts came again and again. Sunny stood beside him his own blades drawn. Somewhere in the distance a Cybertronian cry was heard. Another on of their comrades was shot into silence. Battles were commencing all around him, but he just stood there watching. It almost felt like he was watching it from above, in a body not his own. He watched his brother help Starslasher take out a Decepticon, saw each and every hit Sunstreaker took, each clang of metal hitting metal intensifying in his hearing shafts. _

_ "Sunny." He croaked, finally able to function again. _

_ Sunstreaker, too caught up in his battle didn't hear his plea. He rolled towards him, his wheels feeling like they were 100 tons heavier. He tried again, louder this time. "Sunny." _

_ Sunstreaker heard his cry and swiveled around to face him. He took in his brother's horrified expression and was about to turn around, but it was too late. The Decepticon, seeing the opening, stabbed Sunstreaker through the torso with his energon coated blade. _

_ He opened his mouth to scream, trying to move, trying to do __something.__ Another blast was heard behind him, and suddenly all he felt was pain, pain, pain. His optics glowing white from the intensity of it, then everything went black. _

_ A long time passed before he opened his optics again. Taking in his surroundings he found that he was on a foreign planet, an Autobot, Jolt he recalled, tending to his injuries. Upon hearing his patient's optics shutter Jolt glanced up to address him. "I see you're finally awake. You suffered from extensive injuries, if I hadn't gotten to you when I did, you would be offline right now." Molding a pair of plates together on his leg Jolt finished his work and stood up. "Your energon supply was almost depleted, since then you have recovered enough that it should heal your injuries soon." _

_ He tried to stand, but failed. Through the wave of pain he managed to croak out, "Where are we?"_

_ Jolt's optics darkened with sadness. "The planet Solstices. Cybertron… has been completely destroyed."_

_ His head shot up, disbelief lining his features. "No." He whispered. It couldn't be true. And, if it was, where was Suntreaker? "How long-how long was I in staisis?" He asked the medic flatly. _

_ Jolt regarded him closely. "About seven solar cycles." He watched for the mech's reaction and was surprised when he didn't give one at all. The only indication he gave that he had heard Jolt was his shoulder plates slumping a fraction. _

_ All was silent for what felt like hours, and only one thought ran through his processor. "Is Sunny offline?" The thought plagued him. _

_ Jolt, as if reading his thoughts, broke through the silent reverie. "You have a twin brother…do you not?" _

_ He tensed, if Jolt was asking him this, then he must know something about Sunstreaker. "Yes. Do you know him?" _

_ Jolt shrugged, "I know of him. He is one of the Autobots that stayed to defend Cybertron after the Decepticons took over. They were… critically outnumbered."_

_ He dropped his head. Jolt saw this and quickly added. "But I do know that a few got out alive. Maybe he was one of them, but I do not know that for certain."_

_ He didn't speak to Jolt for vorns after that. He didn't speak to anyone, he was so overcome with grief and the "what ifs" that he couldn't. It was as if he stopped functioning, going through his cycles in a mindless daze. A few Autobots also taking refuge there tried to talk to him, but it was useless. After a few kilks everyone stopped trying and left him alone to deal with his loss. They all knew he lost his brother, and a twin no less. There was a strong bond between twins, and they all knew it was hard to cope when it felt as if half your spark is gone. And that's exactly how it felt like for him. _

_ Over the vorns the pain got better, he decided to focus on the fact that he didn't __know__ if Sunny was offline, and after that it lessened bit by bit. He was finally able to hold conversations with Jolt and a few other Autobots, and soon after he felt almost normal again, There was always a hole in his chest where Sunny would be, but it was a discomfort he came to ignore cycle by cycle. _

_ One cycle, Jolt got a signal from a planet called Earth from the Autobots residing there. Decepticons were on the rise, and they needed more warriors. Of course, all of the Cybertronians quickly agreed to help their fellow Autobots and set out for Earth. Al though he wouldn't show it, he was excited to see if his long lost brother was with them or, if he wasn't, if anyone had any information about him._

_ Sadly, it was not to be. Sunstreaker was nowhere to be found on the dirt planet and no one had any idea what had happened to him. That answer seared him straight to his spark. His brother, his __twin__ brother, might truly be offline._

"Sideswipe?"

A voice in the back of his processor broke through his trance-like daze. His eyes, open but unseeing, finally came back to Earth to rest on the concerned looking human next to him He didn't know how long he was stuck in his memories, but he knew it had to be long enough if Amber was looking at him the way she was.

Finding his voice he whispered brokenly, "I think he's dead."

Tears welled up in Amber's eyes. She knew what it was like to lose someone you love. But unlike Sideswipe, it was someone she didn't remember at all. "I know how you feel." She murmured, a lone tear glistening down her cheek.

Sideswipe, who never broke eye contact with her, watched the stray tear's course. "Who?" He murmured back.

A few more tears threatened to spill over, but she bit her lip to keep them in check. "My mother, Maria."

A pang of sympathy coursed through Sideswipe's spark. Sure, she didn't lose a bondmate, but she did lose someone who was very dear to her, one of her creators.

"What happened to her?" He asked quietly.

Amber took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "She died while giving birth to me."

After calming herself down she opened her eyes and took in Sideswipe's stunned expression. She knew it was surprising, not many women died from childbirth anymore what with all the new medicine. But her mother had a very unusual complication and the doctors couldn't figure out how to save her in time. Everyone told her while she was growing up that it wasn't her fault. But ever since Maria died her father kept his distance. She'd asked her grandmother why he did so before she too died, and she still remembered her reply as clear as day. _"Child, you just remind him so much of your mother, it's hard for him to see you."_

Her grandmother's words still tore at her heart. She hadn't seen her father in years, heck, she didn't even know if he was still alive.

While she tried to push away the depressing thoughts Sideswipe was doing a search on human reproduction. He didn't know they could die giving birth to their child. From his search he found that females didn't usually die unless some life threatening complication happened. Humans were so _fragile._

Something touching his hand made him jump, hastily he closed the web browser. Amber had he hand on his and looked as she was studying it. "I'm sorry about your brother." She started, pausing to collect her thoughts. "But… I'm not going to tell you it'll all be okay. I know you probably get enough of that from other people. It had to be hard for you… to cope with this. But I will tell you this, if you're sad, be sad. Don't hold that in because it'll just make you feel worse. By letting yourself feel the way you truly feel, you're releasing those pent up emotions, and that'll make you feel better. I can't say that the pain and the hurt will ever be truly gone, because it won't. Your brother was apart of you, and that's never gonna change." She withdrew her hand and turned to look up at the stars. "I didn't know your brother, heck, I barely know you, but I do know that he would want you to remember all the good times you two had together, not the fact that's he's dead. He's always with you Sideswipe, he lives in you and through your memories. Just… remember that. You can still talk to him you know. I can't say he'll respond back, but I promise you he's listening. He'll always be there when you need him."

All was silent for a long time after she finished. Sideswipe stared at the girl who could be no older than twenty, and wondered how that came from her.

Al though his eyes bore into the side of her head, Amber gave no indication that she knew he was watching her. She looked as if she was lost in her own little world, looking at the stars. In all honesty she had no idea where that came from. It happened sometimes, and she didn't even feel like she was the one talking. It was just… said.

Not wanting to be under his uncomfortable scruntity anymore she flashed him a fake smile and slid off the hood. She brushed off her pants and turned to face him. "Well, it's late. I better head in. It was nice talking to you Sideswipe."

With that she turned on her heel and briskly walked towards her front door.

"Wait."

She stopped but didn't turn, and waited. Sideswipe clambered off his alt form and came to a halt behind her. She slowly turned to face him and hesitantly looked him in the eyes. He put two firm hands on her shoulders and held her gaze, finding confusion and a shadow of sadness. Taking a breath he started, "You have given me back the hope that I lost so long ago, the hope that maybe my brother is still out there, waiting for me to find him. Thank you Amber, I am in your debt."

Amber giggled nervously and took a few steps back. She shrugged and offered him a crooked smile. "I'm so glad, and you're welcome, but I really didn't _do_ anything."

He shook his head and smiled back. You have done more for me than you could ever know." A pause went between them as they held each other's gazes. Finally he broke the silence and nodded at the door. "You should probably get some rest, it is late. Goodnight Amber." With that he gave her a small smile and turned to head back to where his alt form sat.

Amber watched him go and whispered, "Goodnight."

**A/N: FINALLY! Ugh so much writer's block. I had written most of this chapter about a month ago and then kinda forgot all about it… ****Oops.**** But anyways, I'm on vacation so I thought I'd give you guys a little treat for yourselves. My updates should come a little quicker now, I'll be here for a month. Hopefully I can crack out another chapter before I leave. :3 I love you all, and thanks for sticking with me!**

**~Court **


	3. Never Be The Same

**Chapter 3: Never Be The Same **

**A/N: Hi guys! Sorry it took so long. :/ I've been working twelve hour shifts the last couple days PLUS online schooling. I. Am. Beat. Buuuut, I had some extra time during work (retail, no customers, nothing really to do.) So I decided to crack out another chapter! Hope you guys enjoy, and thanks so much for all the reviews I loved them all!**

**Reviews:**

Chippr: I'm glad you think so! Well then I guess now is your chance to find out! :) Thanks for reviewing!

Bee4ever: Yeah, I really liked how it turned out. That chapter pretty much wrote itself lol. I hope you like this chapter just as much as the last!

Yellow Camaro14: Wow…thanks so much. I am so sorry about your father…that must be so hard. Thank you, we'll find out later if it's true or not. Lol I love him too, I hate that they didn't put him in the movies. :( Thank you! You have no idea how much it means to me to hear that. More is on the way and I've got a new inspiration! You! :) Thanks for reviewing!

Elita-2: No it isn't. Yeah I wish I could put that in there, that's a very wise saying. Stinks that Amber doesn't know he's an alien robot yet. :/ Thank you! :)

Guest: I knoowww. :( Hopefully he won't have to go through too much torture… Thanks for leaving a comment!

Invader Ivy: Lol yes! And here's another one! I KNOW RIGHT? *Beats up block* Thanks for reviewing!

Autobot-Bre: Thanks you very much! :D More has arrived!

Sunnysides: I think so too, I hope that the people who read this find a little comfort for their own tragedies… Thanks for reviewing.

VioletDawn00: Lol I am so happy you like it! Thanks so much! If I may ask, which is your favorite? :)

CrAsHqUeEn18: I updated as soon as I could. :) Glad you like it!

**Lights. Camera. ACTION! **

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There's something different about him, she just knew it.

Amber lay in her bed, pondering the day's events. Sideswipe was unlike any other person she'd ever met. He was very open and honest, even though she was pretty much a total stranger. She couldn't believe he actually told her about his brother, it was…totally unexpected.

The things that really bewildered her though were his eyes and his "codename." She could understand him having an undercover name, but Sideswipe? What kind of soldier had the name Sideswipe? Why would he have a name like that? Was he like an expert swordsman or something?

No, she dismissed the idea. This wasn't the 18th century, they were passed using metal sticks to defend themselves. So what else could it be? She was at a total loss.

And what about his eyes? She swore they were glowing and to be honest it kinda creeped her out. No one had eyes like that, no one. The idea of him being an alien drifted through her mind a few times, but she knew that wasn't possible. Science may say that they were not alone, but she didn't believe that, not one bit.

'_I'll just have to ask him about it tomorrow.' _She mused, then at the thought her heart sank. They were leaving tomorrow.

But why did it matter to her? She'd lived alone for a couple years now, so why did she suddenly want them to stay? Well, she really just wanted Sideswipe to stay since he was the only one she really talked to. He intrigued her, and she wanted to know more about him. Like, why did his eyes glow like some kind of extra-terrestrial being for instance?

She sighed and glanced at the clock. 2:41, read the luminous green numbers. "Shoot." The young woman muttered, she needed to get to bed. The horses needed to be worked and she had to get some time to talk to Sideswipe before he left.

But how was she supposed to sleep when she had so much on her mind?

These were the moments when she wished she had her mother. It would've been nice to be able to talk to her about this. She always felt an empty feeling when she thought of her mother. Her father had broke down and told her all about Maria once when she was fifteen.

'_She was gorgeous, her hair was exactly like yours. I always loved running my fingers through it… Gosh, you look __so__ much like her…' _

Then he would get that sad and lost look she so often saw in his eyes. The teenage girl would always ask him what was wrong, even though after awhile she already knew the answer. He missed her mother. The only reason she'd ask was to hear her father mention her. He almost never did, and that bugged her. It also bugged her that he was almost never present during her childhood years. Not that she'd complain, no, she was actually quite happy growing up. Her uncle had become the "father figure" in her life, and she had many fond memories with him. He never married, so it was always just the two of them. That was probably how she became the tomboy she was. Her uncle always treated her more like a son than a daughter, taking her on fishing trips and showing her how much fun it was to go mudding. She never quite fit in with the "girly girls" at her school, much preferring to hang out with the guys and talk about football. Al though when she went on dates and things she did like to look her best. In high school her uncle would always look surprised and joke that she actually did have a feminine side. Then she'd sock him in the arm to remind him that she still had her boyish strength.

The memories brought a smile to her face. The tomboy missed her uncle dearly, what with him traveling the world and all. It would've been nice just to chat with him about her crazy night, but since he was somewhere in the Sahara Desert she didn't think he had a phone signal. Living alone had it's perks, but it also had it's downsides too. Especially living out in the sticks, a girl could get pretty lonely out her sometimes.

Maybe that was why she wanted to get to know Sideswipe, she mused. No one had come to her doorstep other than the mailman for quite awhile now, so it was nice to be able to spend time with another human being. She missed a lot of that from her years living in solitude. Now it was all staring to catch up to her. Not that she needed to talk to other people. In all honesty she _liked_ not having to make small talk or deal with people knocking on her door all hours of the day. Some would say she was weird, not wanting to gossip or talk to totally fake people about unimportant topics, but she could care less. This was her life, she'd live it the way she wanted. Sideswipe was different like that, he wasn't fake at all. That's what she liked about him, he was real with her.

As the tomboy closed her eyes to fall asleep, she couldn't help but feel excited about talking to the young man again.

Amber awoke the next morning completely _exhausted._ She couldn't even get out of bed until 5:30, and even then it was met with a few choice words and a lot of groaning. Once she was up and mostly decent she tiptoed downstairs and quietly went into the kitchen. Surprisingly none of her house guests were up yet. She figured they'd be getting ready to leave by now, but looking at them made her realize why. They were probably just as tired as she was. Suppressing a giggle at some of their faces she poured herself a big cup of coffee and went to get her running clothes on. Since they were still asleep she figured she could go for a morning jog. Once the first cup was downed and the second following soon after she headed outside.

The tomboy always loved this time of year. The sky was just getting hues of pink as she got warmed up. To the West you could still make out a few stars in the darkness, and the birds were just getting up for their morning song. It was all very beautiful to her, and it never got old. This was the reason why she lived here, to be able to see things like this.

As she walked down her drive she searched to find Sideswipe's Corvette in the driveway. She still didn't understand why anyone in the military would have a car like that, but there really wasn't much she knew about the military anyways. Still, it all seemed pretty odd to her, but she just shrugged it off.

'_He must s__till be sleeping.'_ She thought. That was good, they all needed their rest. They were out defending their country, never knowing which breath would be their last. It made her sad to know that they thought like that. She wished she could to something more for them, but what could she do?

She was just a civilian.

As Amber broke out in a run she thought about the time when she wanted to get involved in the army. For years as a teenager she wanted to be in the Air Force. Then as she got older, and saw just how horrible war could be, she thought better of it. Now here she was, running through a beautiful trail in harmless North Dakota, while the men residing in her home put down life and limb to ensure that she got to do this sort of thing every day without even a thought of her safety. Honestly, it made her feel like a coward.

Her pace quickened as she pushed the thoughts away. It didn't matter now, at least she could give them someplace safe to sleep, even if just for one night. They chose the path they walked on, just as she chose hers. Theirs may be more difficult, but it was still a choice.

She ran and ran and ran, well into the morning light. It had to be almost seven by now, she needed to turn back. Just as she reached her end point a car horn sounded behind her, nearly making her jump out of her skin. She stopped and took a few deep breaths to calm down, glaring at the sheepish looking Sideswipe in his Corvette.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She screeched as he pulled up beside her.

He rubbed the back of his neck and offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He glanced her up and down. "You look exhausted. Get in." With that he opened the passenger door for her.

The young woman mulled it over then thought better of it. She shook her head and gestured to herself. "No thanks, I'm all sweaty. I don't want to get in your car like this…"

Sideswipe grinned and motioned for her to get in anyways. "C'mon! I'm sure you don't sink that bad."

"Hey!" She socked him playfully in the shoulder. Groaning in defeat she walked over to the other side of the car and hopped in, closing the door behind her.

As they drove Sideswipe made a show of pinching his nose. "Whew! Guess I was wrong, you reek!"

That earned him a harder blow on the arm which of course only made him laugh.

"You would too if you ran ten miles!" Amber muttered defensively.

Sideswiped glanced over and rolled his eyes at her annoyed expression. "I know I know I was just messing with you!" He reached over and ruffled her windblown ponytail. "Lighten up will ya?"

Amber huffed and turned to look out the window, choosing to ignore him. Obviously he didn't like that so he pulled over to the side of the road. "Amber." He said, a little more gently. "I was kidding. You really um…don't smell _that_ bad! I promise!"

At his pathetic attempt to smooth things over she burst out laughing. Sideswipe looked a little confused, but chose to go with it and smiled back at her. "What's so funny?" He asked, a little bewildered by her actions.

The tomboy wiped away a few stray tears and tried to answer him. "You!" She chortled. Finally calming herself down she added, "I know I stink, and I'm sorry I reacted the way I did. I guess I'm just tired."

The soldier hummed in understanding. "Yeah I totally get it, it's no big deal." He said and got back on the road. "Look, how about I take you home so you can take a shower then we go on a drive, just you and me. Sound good?"

She looked over at him in confusion, "But I thought you were leaving this morning?"

He grinned and shrugged, "Yeah, later. But if you make it quick then we can have an hour or so to hang out."

She nodded, happy about getting the chance to talk with him again. They rode the rest of the way home in silence. Sideswipe regarded the human femme through his rearview mirror in curiosity. He hadn't gotten a chance to really _look_ at her yet. Now as he did he realized that he was correct about his earlier assumptions. She _was_ pretty, for a human. Not entirely gorgeous, it was more of a hidden beauty. He liked that, how she didn't flaunt how she looked. It made her even more appealing somehow, even in her sweaty and flushed state. She was different than any other femme he'd met. He didn't quite understand it, but there was just something about her that he was drawn to. Maybe it was what she'd said about Sunny last night. That had really amazed him, how she had so much sympathy for someone she didn't know. Her words truly did give him a renewed hope about finding his long-lost twin. No one had been able to do that for vorns, and even then he'd never encountered a being who had said anything remotely like that to him about Sunstreaker. Even other humans who knew about his twin had come up short compared to her.

Speaking of said femme he came to the conclusion that she was alright, for a human. He really just wanted to understand her. That was why he got up from staisis early, so he could talk to her.

They reached the house and Amber dashed out of the car as soon as they hit the pavement to go get a shower. On her way upstairs she shouted a quick 'hello' to the soldiers sipping the coffee she left out for them. Once in the bathroom she stripped and got in for a super fast scrubbing.

In all honesty Sideswipe was a little shocked to find her strolling towards him seven minutes later. She was clean, had fresh clothes on, and her hair was tied up in a perfect bun. It astounded him how the little changes in her appearance had made he look so different. Once she was close he got out of his alt form and opened the door for her, a playful smirk on his face.

"My lady." He said cheekily, and gestured inside.

Amber stifled a giggle and rolled her eyes. "Why Sideswipe, aren't you a gentleman?" She offered him a quick curtsy and got in.

He chuckled at her antics and follow suit, peeling out of the driveway at lightning speed.

"Woohoo!" The young woman squealed with glee.

Sideswipe grinned and revved his engine, going even faster.

Amber laughed and shouted, "We're probably breaking every speed limit there is right now but I don't even care!" She laughed again and turned on the radio to her favorite station.

_Cowboy Casanova _blared from the loudspeakers and she sang right along with it.

The Autobot couldn't help himself from staring at her, mouth hanging open in astonishment. She was fragging amazing! Her voice rivaled any great female singer he'd heard on this planet. It was clear and strong, but could become soft and sweet for certain parts of a song. It was a voice that he never wanted to stop listening to, so he was a little disappointed when she finished.

"Holy slag! That was awesome!" He said to her in amazement.

Amber blushed at his praise, but was a little bewildered by his remark. "Holy slag? What does that mean?"

He mentally cursed himself for his slip up and floundered for a good response. "Um…it's-it's…it's just a word we soldiers use. Yeah its ah, a different language…"

She tilted her head in curiosity. "Oh really? What language?"

"Um…" _Slagit all! What was one of those fragging languages Ratchet had talked about?_ His eyes brightened when he finally remembered, "It's Italian."

"Italian." She stated disbelievingly. "What does it mean in English?"

He was on a roll now, "It has a lot of different meanings, but it's pretty much a cuss word." He said easily.

Amber thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. "O…kay. Gotcha, Italian it is."

At her acceptance Sideswipe visibly relaxed. He thanked Primus she didn't ask anything else. "So…where do you want to go?"

Forgetting her earlier suspicions a small smile emerged on her face. "Just keep driving, I'll let you know when to turn."

He nodded and set his holoform's gaze on the road. Through the rearview mirror he watched her silently. She was a little miffed about his slipup he could tell. Hopefully she wouldn't think too much about it. He didn't know how she would react if he told her he was a robotic alien from outer space. Or that it was a translation of a word they used on his home planet. That probably wouldn't end well. It made him feel guilty that he wasn't being completely honest with her regarding his form, but it is what it is. She probably would be scared of him, or go tell other humans. He was a little skeptical about the latter, she didn't seem like the type of person to do that. No, he was almost sure that she wouldn't do that. Still, she probably _would _get scared, and he didn't want that.

So caught up in his inner musings he almost didn't hear Amber tell him to turn here. Pulling himself back to the present he did so sharply so they wouldn't miss it. He smiled to himself when she threw her hands up and squealed enthusiastically while they swerved to the right. Oh yes, he liked this femme, she loved speed and adrenaline just as much as he did.

"Faster Sideswipe!" She shouted over the roar of the engine. Then followed with a lot of whoops and hollers when he happily complied.

They were coming up on their destination, and fast. Suddenly Amber had an idea. "Okay! We're almost there! When I say stop, you gotta slam on the brakes alright?"

At her plan the mech grinned excitedly, she knew his style. He went even faster and readied himself for her signal. Amber sat in anticipation, eyes glued to the windshield. Finally she saw it, and with a screamed, "STOP!" Sideswipe braked hard and did a 360 on the pavement. Amber hollered and squealed until they came to a complete halt. Both panted heavily as adrenaline rushed through their systems. They sat like that for a few minutes before grinned at each other with exhilaration. "That. Was the funnest thing I've done in my ENTIRE. Life." The tomboy exclaimed. "You're car is freaking amazing."

Sideswipe couldn't help but feel a little pride at her statement. Even though she didn't know _he_ was the actual car, it felt pretty damn good to be complemented like that. "Well thank you, I think my driving skills were awesome as well."

Amber smirked and in turn got out of the care so she could find her trail. "You are so full of yourself." She called out over her shoulder as he followed from behind. "The car did all of the work. I would do almost anything to make that sexy piece of metal mine. Can I have it?"

Making a surprised sound Sideswipe felt heated energon rush to his holoform's face. She thought he was sexy? "Um…no. The car is only partly mine…it's the military's as well. So, wherever I go, it goes."

Amber found her hidden path and peeled the branches aside for her companion to go inside. Feigning disappointment she fell in step beside him. "Aww that's too bad. That car is one of a kind, finest piece of machinery I've seen in a long time. Are you sure you can't at least let me borrow it?"

'_Slag, does she even know what she's doing to me?'_ He thought. Yes, he may be vain about his appearance, and he knew he was all those things she said he was. But…he hadn't been complemented like that by a femme of any kind in awhile. He almost didn't know how to react to it except to thank her. It made him wish that he could tell her what he truly was, but it really didn't matter as he thought about it. He was leaving soon, and probably would never see his newfound friend again. That made his Spark sink a little in it's chamber. He'd had a lot of fun with her the past two days, and he would be lying to say he wouldn't miss her, even if just a little bit. So, he kept his mouth shut and silently followed her to wherever she was taking him.

They walked like that until an opening in the trees was spotted up ahead. Amber took his arm and pulled the surprised mech into the place she wanted to show him: her secret meadow.

"Woah…" Sideswipe murmured in awe as he came into the sunlight…

**A/N: Annd I've got to stop there! Aww man! Sides' is leaving soon! :( Don't worry, the story won't end there I assure you. These couple chapter are kind of the prologue into the real story. It just shows how they meet and lets you get to know Amber a bit better. There will be a ****TIME SKIP**** after chapter four so we can get into ROTF. I'll explain that a little more when the time comes. Sorry about the abrupt ending! I needed enough material to write the next chapter before the big time skip. :/ But anyways, tell me what you think? Love you all and see you soon!**

**~Court **


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